A robotic assistant for stereotactic neurosurgery on small animals

Background: This work presents the development and performance analysis of a robotic system for stereotactic neurosurgery on small animals. The system is dedicated to the precise placement of probes in the small animal brain, thus providing an improved framework for brain research. Methods: Based on an analysis of small animal stereotaxy, the mechanical design of the robotic system is presented. Details of the structure and mechanical components and a kinematic description are outlined. The calibration process of the system for arbitrary probes is described. To analyse the mechanical positioning accuracy of the system, a testbed is presented. Results: Positioning performance results show that the system features a mean mechanical positioning accuracy of 32 μm and a mean positioning repeatability of 11 μm. Conclusion: The system meets the requirements of targeting small functional areas within the brain of small animals and thus offers a new tool for small animal brain research.